Variety spotlight: Mencía

What is mencía? 

Mencía [men-THEE-ah] is an early-ripening red grape variety most associated with Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal, where it’s known as jaen (prounounced jyne). It produces high-quality, medium-bodied red wines with distinctive floral aromas and lots of character. Its red-fruit flavour profile and sensitivity to terroir means it’s sometimes compared to pinot noir, although its thick skins yield a wine that’s much deeper in colour, with bitter tannins. Mencía is a versatile variety, and can be used to make juicy and easy-drinking styles, oak-influenced and ageworthy styles, and rosé. 

Where is mencía planted? 

Northwestern Spain is home to the world’s largest plantings of the variety, with over 9000 hectares found across Galicia, in the regions of Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras and Monterrei; and Bierzo in Castilla y León. It’s the DO of Bierzo where the most prized examples come from, due to the region’s quartz- and slate-rich soils, and valleys which allow vineyards to be planted at altitude. A further 2500-odd hectares of mencía are planted in Portgual – mostly in the Dão. 

In Australia, the variety was first planted in 2011 at Oliver’s Taranga in McLaren Vale. Nick Dry, then the nursery viticulturist at Yalumba, knew winemaker Corrina Wright had an interest in mencía, and offered her some cuttings that were freshly released from quarantine. In 2014, Oliver’s Taranga released their first dry rosé made from the variety, and their first red wine followed in 2016. There’s still not a lot of it in Australia, but it is present in McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, Riverland and Great Southern.

Varney Wines in McLaren Vale source fruit for its mencía from Oliver's Taranga.

What does mencía taste like?

Although it’s likened to pinot noir, gamay and sometimes cabernet franc, mencía has its own unique flavour profile. On the nose, expect red berry, cherry and pomegranate with floral undertones. These red fruit flavours repeat on the palate, although, in the best examples, are joined by blackcurrant, black pepper, licorice and a distinct gravel-like minerality. 

I’ll like mencía if I like… 

Aromatic reds such as pinot noir, gamay, and cabernet franc. 

What does mencía pair with?

Mencía pairs beautifully with a range of different dishes. Try it with leaner meats such as pork or duck, charcuterie, sharp cheeses, roasted root vegetables, and rich, herbal-driven stews – even paella. 

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